National Dying Matters Awareness Week runs from 9 – 15 May and St Elizabeth Hospice is encouraging people to talk about their last wishes and plan ahead.
This theme of this year’s Dying Matters Awareness Week is ‘The Big Conversation’ with the aim to get as many people thinking and talking about dying, death and bereavement and to encourage them to take steps to make their end of life experience better.
St Elizabeth Hospice has embraced the theme this year and on Tuesday 10 May, held a Twitter chat with a hospice nurse using the hashtag #AskANurse, giving anybody the opportunity to tweet and ask a question about hospice care and planning ahead.
The local charity also runs a ‘Free Advice Surgery’ every month for anyone – patients, volunteers, staff, visitors and the public – to come along and ask the experts for advice on funeral, legal and financial matters.
This month the ‘Free Advice Surgery will be held on Friday 13 May and anyone is welcome to come along to the hospice on Foxhall Road, Ipswich, from 10.30am – 11.30am. Representatives from Prettys Solicitors, Hyde-Chambers Funeral Directors, Farthing Funeral Service and the East of England Co-Op Funeral Services will be available to give free, no obligation advice about planning a funeral, making a Will, and finding out how to tell your loved one your wishes. You can drop in on the day or book an appointment in advance by calling 01473 723600.
During the week, the hospice has also assisted in running a stand at Ipswich Hospital in the Courtyard restaurant, allowing any visitors, staff or patients at the hospital to find out any information about the hospice and to discuss how to plan ahead, and talk about their last wishes. Plus staff from the hospice will be at the Dying Matters event at St Mary’s Church, Hadleigh on Saturday 14 May.